Machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather



1933. H. A. BALLA'RD 1,920,341

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Nov. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l lrlHh [EDIE] a n I52 50 /nvenror Aug. 1, 1933. H. A. BALLARD 1,920,341

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Nov, 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. A. BALLARD Filed Nov. 8, 1929 MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Aug. 1

Patented Aug. .1, 1933 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOROPERATING UPON HIDES,

SKINS, AND LEATHER Harrie A. Ballard, Beverly, Mass., assignor to The Turner Tanning Machinery Company, Portland, Me, a Corporation of Maine 7 Application November 8, 1929. Serial No. 465,760

' 8 Claims. (c1. 1 19-1-19.)

This invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for putting-out pieces of leather. It is to beunderstood-however, that the invention and various important features thereof may have other applications and uses such, for example, as embodied in unhairing machines.

As heretofore constructed, machines of the serial table type for use in putting-out operations upon pieces of leather, andgthe same is true of serial table type unhairing machines, have invariably employed bladed cylinders as putting-out or unhairing instrumentalities. Upon reference to Letters Patent No. 926,825, granted July 6, 1909, upon application of F. J. Perkins, it will be observed that the bladed cylinders provided for accomplishing putting 29 out operations upon pieces of work supported by work presenting tables are relativelylengthy' one-piece cylinders mounted yieldingly at each end in the frame of the machine, the arrange- 'ment being such that as a given table passes between the cylinders the latter operate upon the work on opposite sides of the table. In such a construction the blades can not adjust themselves individually to inequalities in the work. When thicker portions of the work are presented between the bladed cylinders one or the other cylinder or both must yield to accommodate the thicker portions, which may be highly localized, in which case thinner portions on each side of a thicker portion receive inadequate treatment. Furthermore, in such a case the thicker portions may receive treatment that is too severe, due to the fact that the entire cylinder must yield when a single blade is engaging with a' thick portion of the work. 4 Moreover, certain of the blades may wear more rapidly than others and yet not be replaced because of the expense incidental to replacement, especially if the blades as a whole are still in fair condition. Again, where the work is fairly uniform in thickness but of a class approaching the maximum thickness for which the machine is designed and adjusted, the cyl-' inders because of their length may yield by bending in the middle portions thereof and thus fail in part at least to perform the putting-out or unhairing operations in a manner consistent with the requirements of high grade manufacturing plants.

Objects of this invention are to improve machines of the type referred to,t0 the end that the quality of the work may be improved, and to obviate the objections mentioned while maintaining quantity production.

. To these ends and in accordance with an important feature of the invention a plurality of sets of bladed members are provided for operating upon pieces of Work during movement of the bladed members along straight paths transverse to the direction of movement of the pieces of work while the latter are carried upon work supports movable between and past the sets of bladed members. In the illustrated construction, the bladed members are carried yieldingly by carriers which move to carry the blades in opposite directions across the surface of a piece of work movable with a work support arranged to move in. a direction substantially at a right angle to the paths of the bladed members. Since the bladed members are individually mounted for yielding movement, the various portions of the work will receive treatment in accordance with the requirements of those portions, the blades operating upon the thinner portions without undue hindrance from the thicker portions and the latter receiving treatment from members which are self adjusting to the requirements of the thicker portions. Since each blade is independently mounted it may be readily replaced without necessitating replacement or adjustment of other blades. For co-operation with the blade carriers there are provided guide members fixedly secured to the frame of the'machine and constructed to/ form an unyielding guideway for the carriers. Since, however, the blades yield individually the guideways need not approach in weight and strength the shafts which carry the bladed cylinders of prior constructions. As illustrated, the blade'carriers are arranged upon opposite sidesof a table or other work support movable between them in such a way that the carriers on each side of the work support overlap beyond the center portion of the work and thus operate to treat all portions of the work and to extend the work in opposite directions from central portions thereof upon each side of the table or other work support. Preferably, and as shown, an upper blade carrier on one side of the table or work support moves in the opposite direction from the similar blade carrier on the other side of the table so that the work is kept in extended condition upon the table or work support.

These and other features of theinvention will 2 the pivoting members 22.

now be described in detail and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 1

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a puttingout machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in section along the line II--II of Fig. 1 looking from the right in said figure; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line IIL-III of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the illustrated machine designedto perform putting-cut operations on hides skins and pieces of leather the work 10 is presented for operation upon work supports or tables 12. each table having two work supporting surfaces substantially parallel to each other and facing in opposite directions. Ordinarily a piece of work 10 will be folded over the upper curved edge of a table 12, the backbone line of the hide or skin resting along the center line of the curved table edge. It will be understood, however, that pieces of work may be disposed in other ways upon the tables 12. For moving the tables continuously 'from work receiving to work presenting position and finally to a work discharging station, there is provided a carrier mechanism comprising two endless chains 14 each runningover sprockets 16, 18 and 20 (Fig. 2) the tables being pivotally connected to both chains 14 by means of pivoting members 22 (Fig. 3) located closely adjacent to the upper end of each table so that the latter is suspended and freely movable about Hence, as the tables 12 are carried around the sprockets 16, 18 and 20 they remain suspended vertically irrespective of the fact that they travel, in parts of their paths with a vertical run of the endless chains 14 between sprockets 16 and 18, with an obliquely directed run between sprockets l8 and 20, andfinally with a horizontal run between sprockets 20 and 16.

For operating upon pieces of work when each in turn is presented by a table 12, there is provided a plurality of sets of work treating tools herein illustrated as blades 24. These blades are carried along paths extending transversely of the path of the work upon the vertically ascending tables 12, as most clearly disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. For supporting and operating the blades 24; there are provided blade carriers 26 and 28 operating upon the work where it is backed by the forwardly facing work supporting surface of a table 12, and blade carriers 30, 32 for causing the operation of blades 24 upon that portion of the work which is backed by the rearwardly facing work supporting surface of a table 12. tion of Fig. 1 it will be observed that the upper blade carrier 30 extends considerably beyond the vertical median line of the table in work presenting position. This is true also of the blade carrier 32 so that the blade carriers overlap in side-by-side relationship, the purpose being to insure that all portions of the piece of Work on the adjacentsurface of a table 12 will be operated upon. Similarly the blade carriers 26 and 28 extend in side-'by-side overlapping relation to operate upon the work backed by the forwardly facing surface of the table 12 while the latter is in work presenting position. It will be understood, of course, that the blade carriers 30 and 32 on one side of the table 12 move the blades in opposite directions so as to spread Upon inspecthe work out upon the adjacent work supporting surface of the table, thereby assisting in the putting-out operation. Similarly the blade carriers 26 and 28 move in opposite directions in operating upon the work upon the forwardly facing surface of the table. Preferably, and as shown, the upper blade carrier 26 in front of the table 12 is moving to carry the blades in a direction the opposite of that of the upper blade carrier 30 on the opposite side of the table since if both of these upper blade carriers were moving in the same direction there would be considerable tendency to displace the work on its supporting table. For similar reasons the two lower blade carriers 28 and 32 on opposite sides of the table are so arranged and driven that they move in opposite directions in the operative portion of their travel and thus also assist in keeping the work in extended condition upon opposite sides of the table. This arrangement and direction of movement of the various blade carriers is clearly disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawings by means of arrows appropriately placed.

As will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 3 the blade carriers are mounted upon and driven by suitable sprocket wheels'34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48. Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be observed that interconnected means is provided" for driving all of these sprocket wheels so that the rate of travel of the various sets of blades 24 shallbe the same on both sides of the table which present the work to the blades, the details of which will now be given as follows. Power is supplied to a shaft 1 50 (Figs. 1 and'2) through fixed driving pulley 52 adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power as, for instance, by line shafting above the machine. Secured to the shaft 50 is a bevel gear 70. arranged in mesh with a second bevel 1 gear 72 secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft '74 carried by rigid'arms '75 of the frame of the machine. At the lower end of shaft '74 there is secured the sprocket wheel 42 (Fig. 3) which drives blade carrier 32, and intermediate 1 of the ends of the shaft 74 is a bevel gear 76 arranged to be in mesh with a second bevel gear 78 secured upon a transverse shaft 80 (Fig. 2) carried by bearing 81. At the other end of shaft 80 is bevel gear 82 arranged in mesh with 1 bevel gear 84 at the upper end of a shaft 86 carried by rigid arms 87 and which carries fixed thereto the sprocket (Fig. 3) of the blade carrier 26 for another set of blades 2 1.

At the other end of the shaft is a bevel 1 gear 90 (Fig. 1) in mesh with a bevel gear 92 fixedly securedto the upper end of a shaft 94 carried by rigid arms 95 and to which is fixed at its lower end the sprocket wheel 48 (Fig. 3)

arranged to drive the upper blade carrier 30. 1--

Secured to the shaft 94 at a point intermediate of its ends is a bevel gear 96 (Fig. 1 arranged in mesh with a bevel gear 98 secured to a shaft 100 which is mounted similarly to the shaft and which, at its other end, carries a bevel gear sim 1' ilar to the bevel gear 82 in mesh with a bevel gear similar to 84 at the upper end of a shaft 102 (Fig. 3) to which is secured the sprocket wheel 34 which is arranged to drive the blade carrier 28. It will be readily understood from 1 this description that the arrangement of shafting and bevel gears is the same at the left end of the machine in Fig. 1 as at the right end of that figure, the right end construction of Fig. 1 being shown more clearly in Fig. 2. It is clear, 1

therefore, that all of the blade carriersare driven by interconnected means to operate at the same rate of speed. For supporting sprocket wheelBS of the blade carrier 26 thereis provided a shaft 110 (Fig. 3) mounted in a bracket 112 rigid with anarm1114 projecting from the frame of the machine. Hence, the blade carrier 26 is supported by the sprockets 38 and 40 and isdriven by the latter sprocket. For supporting the sprocket 35 (Fig. 3) there is provided a vertical shaft similar to the shaft 110 and mounted in the projecting arm 114 so that the blade. carrier 28 is. carried by the sprockets 34 and 36 and is operated from the former. Again, the sprocket 46 (Fig. 3) is secured to a shaft 116 mounted in a bracket 11% which extends from an arm 120 rigid with the frame of the machine. Thus, the blade carrier 30 is supported by the sprockets 46 and 48 and is driven from the latter sprocket. Sprocket wheel 44 is mounted upon a vertical shaft similar to the shaft 116 and is supported in bearings furnished by arms or extensions 120 on the machine frame, the sprocket wheels 42, 44 serving to .carry the blade carrier 32 which is driven from the sprocket wheel 42. V

For guiding and backing the operative runsoi the various blade carriers there ar provided combined guiding and backing members 140, 142, 144,-, 146, (Fig. 3) the purpose of these members being to afford support for the blade carriers and also a backing enabling the blade carriers to present .the blades 24 inproper operative relation with respect to the work on the table 12.

.In order that the blades 24may adjust themselves to the work, each blade is mounted upon three bolts 150, 152, and 153 (Fig. 1) extending from links 154 of the corresponding blade carrier, springs 155 (Fig. 3) being interposed between the blades 24 and the supporting link 154, thus making it possible for each blade 24 to yield by sliding on the supporting bolts 150, 152, and 153 against the tension of the springs 155. It will be clear that by reason of the mounting of the blades 24 they adjust themselves to inequalities in the thickness of the work and that one blade may be operating upon a thinner portion in close juxtaposition to a thicker portion of the work which is receiving treatment from another self-adjusting blade 24. Moreover, each blade is detachably mounted upon its bolts 150,

modating the worn blade to the work whereby the period of its use may be lengthened by a simple adjustment. It will be noted upon inspection of the drawings that the operative portion of the blade is inclined away fromthe vertical at an angle experimentally proven to give the best results while operating upon the vertically moving work.

As a matter of convenience the table operating means is driven also from the shaft 50. Secured to the shaft 50 is a sprocket wheel 160 (Fig. 2) around which passes a sprocket chain 162 also arranged to pass around a second sprocket wheel 164 secured fixedly to a shaft .166 which carries fixedly a pinion 168 arranged in mesh with a gear 1'70 fixedly secured to a shaft 172 to which is keyed the sprockets 18 for driving the pair of chains 14. Preferably the sprockets20 are carried bystub shafts one of which is shown at 174 (Fig. 2) while the sprockets 16 are carried by. a single shaft 1'76. In operating this machine, a piece of work is placed upon a table 12 when it is substantially in the position of table 12 at station 180' (Fig. 2), without interrupting the travel of the tables .l2.- and their carrier chains 14. As the tables move along, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 they are carried up between pairs of rollers'182 which serve to guide the tables and to reduce to a minimum any oscillatory movement the table may have in this portion of its travel. As the table at the time between rollers 182 continues its movement in a vertical direc tion, it passes between the sets of blades 24 upon their carriers 26, 28, 30 and 32 which, as before stated, are traveling in sets in opposite direc tions upon each side of the table 12 to spread out the work on the table and to perform the specific operation, in the illustrated machine, of putting-out the Work, that is, striking-out excessive moisture from, the hides or skins and at the same time spreading them out and smoothing down the grain. vertical motion and is carried around sprocket wheels 18 and then descends to the station 180 where the treated piece of work is removed from each table in turn as it reaches the station and a new piece of work substituted therefor.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: r

1. Ina machinefor operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieceslof work, a movable work support having oppositely facing work supporting surfaces, a plurality of sets of blades arranged upon opposite sides of the work support for operating upon a piece of work on the support, means for moving the work support in a vertical direction between and past certain of the sets of blades, endless carrier members arranged in overlapping relation with respect to each other upon each side of the work support to position the sets of blades so that their paths will overlap on the work on the support, said carriers being movable to cause operation of the blades along straight paths extending transversely to the path of the work, and means for moving the carrier members in opposite directions upon each side'of the work support to cause the blades to operate on the work while the work support moves the work past the blades.

2. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work,

a movable'work support having oppositely facing parallelly arranged work supporting surfaces, a plurality of sets of blades arranged upon opposite sides of the path of the work support to operate upon the work backed by the work parallel supporting surfaces, means for moving the work support between and past the sets of blades, and means for moving the blades along straight lines over the work to operate upon the work during the movement of the work support.

'3. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a movable work support having work supporting surfaces facing away from each other, a plurality of sets of blades arranged on each side of the movable work support for operating upon the work backed by the work supporting sur- The table continues its iaoes, means for moving the work supportbetween and past the sets of blades, carriers for the blades movable along paths extending at right angles to the path of the work support, and means for operating the carriers to move the blades in sets in opposite directions upon each side of the work support simultaneously with the movement of the latter.

4. In a machine for putting-out operations on hides and skins, a movable work support having work supporting surfaces facing in opposite directions from each other, a plurality of sets of putting-out blades arranged on each side of the work support for operating upon work positioned on the work support, endless carrier belts for supporting the blades in sets, the carrier belts on one side of the work support being arranged to travel in opposite directions from the'middle portion of the work, means for driving the carrier belts in said opposite directions, and means for moving the work support between and past the sets of carrier belts during the movement of the latter.

5. In a machine for putting-out hides and skins, a work support movable in an upward direction during treatment of the work and having work supporting. surfaces facing in opposite directions, a plurality of sets of putting-out blades for operating on the work, upper and lower endless carrier members on both sides of past the sets of blades, the upper carrier mem-I bers with their blades operating on opposite sides of the work support being driven to move the blades in opposite directions and the lower carrier members being driven to move their blades in opposite directions on opposite sides of the Work support.

6. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a work support, a tool for operating on a piece of work on the support, an endless carrier for supporting and moving the tool, a rigid backing for the carrier, a plurality of guide rods carried by'the carrier for slidably supporting the tool on the carrier, and spring means associated with the guide rods for yieldingly backing the tool.

'7. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a work support, a tool for operating on a piece of work on the support, a link chain carrier for supporting and moving the tool, a rigid stationary backing for the carrier, guide rods carried by a link of the carrier for 'slidably supporting the tool on the carrier, and springs associated with the guide rods for yieldingly backing the tool.

8. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a work support, a tool for operating-on a piece of Work on the support, a movable-tool supporting member, three guide rods arranged in a triangle on the supporting member for slidably supporting the tool, and spring means associated with the supporting member for yieldingly back- 0 

